Tues.’s Devo - Jonah

Read: Jonah 1:1-4:11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27 Jonah means “a dove” the same metaphor used to describe the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism. Jonah was the son of Amittai which means “God’s veracious faithfulness”. Jonah was to be the Holy Spirit to show the city of Nineveh God’s veracious faithfulness. God told Jonah to go and cry against the city for its wickedness. I would think he would love to go and say this to his enemy. God didn’t tell Jonah to go and preach repentance, he told him to cry against it. Instead, Jonah ran from what God told him to do. He didn’t want to do it. He hopped a ship to Tarshish but God sent a great wind to destroy their ship. The crew cried out to their gods and threw all the cargo overboard. All this time Jonah was asleep in the bottom of the boat. He was awakened with the same panic Jesus was awakened when he was asleep in the bottom of the boat with his disciples. Both were told they were about to die and both Jesus and Jonah knew what to do to quiet the waves. Jesus spoke to the waves and Jonah gave himself to them. When Jonah told the men why the storm came and that they had do cast him overboard. They finally did and the waves were still. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish that God had prepared for him. The fish took him to the shore that led to Nineveh. Jonah died and was in that fish’s belly for three days and three nights just like Jesus was in the tomb three days and three nights. Jonah was resurrected as he repented. Jonah was cast on the shore and had to walk for three days. He had a long time to think. When he got to Nineveh he told them that in 40 days they would be overthrown. Instead of killing him, they repented and proclaimed a fast. They cried out to the Lord for mercy and God repented of the evil he had planned. This upset Jonah that God had chosen to have mercy on them. He was so upset he wanted to die. (Talk about a pity party.) God confronted Jonah about his attitude and caused a gourd to grow over him and shade him from the sun. Then he prepared a worm to eat the gourd and take away his shade. Once again Jonah wanted to die. God asked him if he had a right to be mad at a gourd. Jonah thought he did. God told him that he cared about the gourd who didn’t have a soul; shouldn’t God care about Nineveh and its 120,000 people that didn’t know right from wrong. The gourd and Nineveh were the same. They were both ignorant of the things of God but God still loved them and had pity for them because they just didn’t know the truth. The end of the story is that Nineveh eventually went back to their wickedness and were destroyed 200 years later. In Revelation, John saw that God was holding a scroll in his right hand. It had seven seals on it and no one in heaven or on the earth was worthy to open it. John began to weep and the angels told him that there was one who could open it and that was the the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne. Then John saw a lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered standing where the menorah had been. The Word became flesh. He had seven horns and seven eyes which represented his spirit sent out to all the parts of the earth. He took the scroll and the four living beings and the 24 elders fell down in worship. They were carrying the bowls full of the oil and incense which represents the prayers of the saints. They gave the Lord worship. Angels joined in the worship just as they did when Jesus was born. The four creatures fell down in worship also. Lord, we know that the time is so close to your returning. May we live in worship of you.